Tual’s technology is said to provide critical solutions for fleet operators and vehicle OEMs needing to meet the challenges presented by vehicle charging.
Philip Clarke, CEO and Founder of Tual, said: “Providing van-fleet drivers with guaranteed access to the energy they need, at the time and place of their choosing, plays a critical role in transforming vehicle suitability, driver satisfaction, and fleet profitability. That is what Tual has been founded to achieve, and – together with some of Europe’s largest fleets – that is what our unique powerbank technology has been developed to facilitate.
“We are firmly on track on the journey from product development and prototyping to full-scale manufacturing, and the scope of the technology is hugely exciting for us – with the business looking in future to expand into haulage, agriculture, emergency-services, and defence fleets.
“Focusing our initial offering on the eLCV segment as a core component of enterprise fleets, we’re committed to delivering the tools they need to make a success of their transition to electric power.”
There is an urgent need for enterprise fleets and OEMs to adopt electric light commercial vehicles (eLCVs), with lucrative fleet contracts demanding the integration of zero-emission vans and regulatory pressures requiring vehicle-manufacturers to deliver them.
According to Tual, fleet-operator needs are currently not served by eLCV offerings on the market, with driving-range and vehicle-charging challenges creating a significant cost-burden on businesses. With 40% of van use-cases exceeding real-world eLCV range, and 70% of van drivers unable to charge at home or depot, lost productivity from charging downtime can cost fleets up to £150,000 per driver or vehicle over a five-year period.
Tual’s modular powerbank solutions are expected to help enterprise fleets overcome grid and vehicle constraints. The only on-demand battery system that’s scalable across OEMs, Tual powerbanks are compatible with vehicle manufacturers’ existing platforms.
The powerbank technology can be leveraged across a range of critical use-cases for enterprise fleets. Tual offers a comprehensive suite of solutions for commercial fleet operators to take control of their charging operations – freeing them from reliance on public charging infrastructure, while maximising vehicle uptime and profitability.
For vans unable to home-charge or return to the depot, Vehicle ReCharge powerbank technology provides overnight charging regardless of location – delivered by charge collected on the return journey. Once the driver returns to the depot, they are able to swap powerbanks in 90 seconds, ensuring minimal disruption to the vehicle’s schedule.
Tuals Range Extender solution enables vehicle deployment for long-range duty cycles, beyond their standard driving range. Taking a powerbank with them during daily operations, drivers can park up their van while the system charges the vehicle’s battery each time it’s parked.
For operators that require auxiliary power beyond what’s available from the van itself, the Portable Power solution delivers off-grid energy on demand – giving drivers the opportunity to run auxiliary equipment and charge other vehicles on-the-go.